Okaloosa County BOCC — August 16, 2016 — Access EC Rider TDP - August Draft Report — reading text

County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 109  Section 5: Situation Appraisal Implications – EC Rider services major trip generators and attractors but could consider expanding services to include generators such as Eglin Air Force Base and areas that are not currently serviced like Niceville. Important transit markets in Okaloosa County include young adults and those working in sales, office and military occupations. As economic development gradually grows, Okaloosa County should continue to modify its services in order to capture new riders and new transit markets. Additionally, EC Rider could expand its services to assist workers needing to commute on Saturdays. Depending the needs of a commuters, a vanpooling/carpooling program for commuters traveling from Valparaiso and Niceville to Fort Walton Beach or the coastal areas such as Destin may b an attractive alternative. The economic and traffic impacts generated by the tourism industry point to the need to maintain or improve the more frequent bus service during the summer months when the tourism industry peaks. Because most households visiting the county typically bring one vehicle, they may be limited to traveling to only one destination at a time. For instance, a member of the group may want to attend an attraction while the rest of the household may want to shop. A robust transit service could make the choice to take transit more attractive in the event a visiting household or group needs to make two separate trips simultaneously or for visitors who do not wish to or cannot bring their own car. Regional Transit Issues A review of regional travel behavior indicates the need for more regionally-connected transit services. A total of more than 14,600 daily commutes to Okaloosa County come from Santa Rosa County and Walton County. The Okaloosa-Walton County TPO Long Range Transportation Plan proposes a regional water taxi and express transit service to facilitate regional trips from neighboring counties. Other characteristics include the following:  A substantial number of commuters from outside of the county originate from Santa Rosa County.  SR 85 and SR 123 corridors are vital connections between I-10 near Crestview to Niceville and Fort Walton Beach, carrying thousands of commuters to Eglin Air Force Base, Duke Field, Hurlburt Field, Northwest Florida Regional Airport, and other destinations in the region.  US 98 is the main link for regional travel from Santa Rosa County and is highly congested during peak hours.  The roadway network is constrained by the presence of the Eglin Air Force Base.  SR 85, US 90, PJ Adams Parkway, Highway 4, SR 123, SR 293, SR 20, US 98, Lewis Turner Boulevard, and Eglin Parkway are the most congested roadways projected to operate at LOS E or F by 2035.  Amtrak ceased operations in 2005. A study on returning passenger rail to the Panhandle region highlights the continuing need for transit to serve regional markets that extend to major cities such as New Orleans, Mobile, and Orlando.  Greyhound bus service provides regional transportation for travelers. The bus terminal/stop is located in Fort Walton Beach (Figure 5-1). ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 110  Section 5: Situation Appraisal Figure 5-1: Greyhound Bus Shelter in Fort Walton Beach Image source: Google Streetview. Implications – The possible return of Amtrak service has the potential to complement the existing transit network in Okaloosa County if adequate connections between EC Rider and the Amtrak station are provided. EC Rider Route 14 provides a vital connection from Crestview to Fort Walton Beach, with opportunities to extend its service span for workers who work later hours. Express bus routes connecting important regional markets through park-and-ride facilities is a potential way to capture regional travel going to Okaloosa County. Waterborne taxis that connect Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Niceville, Pensacola, and Walton County are another alternative mode of transportation that can aid regional travel while providing congestion relief to major roadways. Providing express transit service along congested roadways such as US 98, SR 85, and SR 293 may capture choice riders wishing to be productive on transit vehicles rather than driving in traffic. As the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin area expands to neighboring counties, the County should consider expanding its travel options regionally in the future with more connections to neighboring counties such as Santa Rosa and Walton counties. Express lanes could further enhance regional travel objectives. Land Use Effective land use planning can significantly support public transit with strategies reshaping land use to increase mobility and quality of life for residents, creating an efficient, effective, and balanced intermodal and multimodal transportation system. Although Eglin Air Force Base separates the county north-south, the restriction in growth can create future opportunities to create more compact development surrounding the base. Other constraints, such large residential areas in Wright, provide limited road connectivity to neighboring developments and hinder the ability for people to walk acceptable distances to transit stops. Some local governments have begun to adopt alternatives to concurrency and implement other strategies that support transit. For example, the City of Destin has adopted strong multimodal modal polices in its comprehensive plan, including mixed-use land use designations (see Figure 5-2), which are implemented through the City’s land development regulations. Destin has adopted land-use densities in its multimodal ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 111  Section 5: Situation Appraisal district, minimum levels of service for transit, design guidelines for transit stops, locations for future transit stops, and other guidelines that promote walking and biking, all of which will create a transit-supportive environment. The following adopted land uses throughout Okaloosa County will create more transit supportive land uses:  Mixed land use and commercial zones throughout Destin  SR 85 corridor and segments of US 90 in Crestview  Commercial and mixed land uses along SR 189, SR 393, SR 188, SR 85 in Fort Walton Beach Most of the corridors are already served by transit. Figure 5-2 also shows the concentration of commercial developments (in red) and mixed use (in brown) in Destin. Figure 5-2: Future Land Use Map of Destin Source: Okaloosa County Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Maps (January 2013) Local land use policy is being reshaped, and the land use policy environment at the State level also has changed in recent years. By passing HB 7207, the State of Florida placed responsibility for transportation planning and growth management in the hands of local planners. This allows various agencies in Okaloosa County to work together to leverage local resources and funding to best suit local conditions. Implications – Land use and transportation, when planned concurrently, lead to more efficient land use and transportation networks. As development continues to grow and densify along the US 90, SR 189, SR 393, SR 188, and SR 85 corridors, Okaloosa County should consider focusing its future resources on providing more frequent headways and other enhancements in these areas. The County should encourage and possibly guide other local governments in modifying their policies and regulations by adopting more multimodal-supportive land uses and land development regulations to enhance the overall transportation network and connectivity within the county. Local governments agreeing to participate in a transit- ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 112  Section 5: Situation Appraisal supportive framework, such as Destin has demonstrated, will help Okaloosa County make rapid and significant progress in integrating transit into such major developments. Therefore, Okaloosa County should engage in planning ongoing and potential major developments to ensure that land development policies and land development codes require transit infrastructure to support existing and potential and foster transit services that will benefit the residents and tourists by increasing their choices for transportation. Although the City of Destin has strong transit-supportive policies, local funding is not provided to support transit. In spite of—and because of—these challenges, it is important for EC Rider to continue to reach out to local government agencies and partners by communicating their needs and touting their accomplishments as they strive to better provide transit services. Okaloosa County should also engage in planning ongoing and potential major developments and ensure that land development policies and land development codes contain provisions enhancing roadway connectivity and other transit-supportive approaches. Public Involvement Feedback from current users and non-users of transit services provided valuable input for deciding how to enhance the current service delivery in Okaloosa County. In coordination with the Okaloosa-Walton TPO, EC Rider has undertaken a comprehensive outreach process to garner public input for the Access EC Rider TDP. An initial round of public workshops and discussion groups was held to discuss existing transit services and needs, and an online public survey and on-board survey were administered to provide a forum for the public to express concerns and generate ideas regarding the most important transit needs for the county and the region. A visioning workshop with the Steering Committee and interviews with bus operators and local policy leaders were conducted to discuss existing and future service needs. General conclusions drawn from public involvement efforts conducted for the Access EC Rider TDP include the following:  There is a lack of awareness about public transportation in the community.  Bus service does not run late enough or frequent enough and does not run on Saturdays. High- priority improvements include increased frequency, adding Saturday and (perhaps limited) Sunday service and providing more express bus routes and better bus stop locations and amenities. Medium-priority improvements included providing service later in the evening.  There is a need to improve/increase service to the new County Courthouse, County Fairgrounds, and in Niceville and Destin.  More connections should be provided between Niceville and Destin.  More express routes and trolleys (seasonal and for high-tourism areas) should be provided.  Different services should include more bicycles and safety strategies, as some bicyclists avoid certain areas, and vanpools.  Park-and-ride facilities were proposed in Seaside, Fort Walton Beach City Hall, Marler